Optimising Event Locations and Urban Management in Melbourne

Shapes of dataframes

Parking df			: (23864, 7)
Event df			: (2827, 6)
Pedestrian df			: (2305280, 9)
Parking sensor location		: (139, 12)

How many events?

This section outlines the types of permitted events that took place in the Melbourne city area between 2014 and 2018. Insights drawn from this dataset will be used in the project to identify common event types and their typical time frames. This information will also support the analysis of the most suitable locations and optimal timings for hosting various events across the city.

What kind of events?

category_1
Wedding                                    615
Public Event - Non-ticketed                511
Promotion                                  430
Filming - TV Series                        200
Public Event - Run Walk                    198
Filming - TVC                              158
Public Event - Ticketed                    111
Public Event - Low Impact Activity          92
Filming - Photo shoot                       90
Private Event                               87
Filming - Unit Base                         58
Filming - Student                           57
Public Event - Music Event                  41
Filming - Other                             40
Public Event - Media/Launch Event           36
Public Event - Memorial                     25
Filming - Movie                             21
Public Event - Cycling Event                19
Public Event - Parade                       16
Public Event - Music                         6
Public Event - Cycling                       3
Filming - TV Series, Filming - Unit          2
Public Event - Media Launch                  2
Public Event - Outside Broadcast             2
Filming -- Other                             1
Filming - TVC, Recreation and Sport          1
Private Event -                              1
Public Event - Media Launch Event            1
Filming - TV Series Filming - TV Series      1
Public Event                                 1
Public Event - Low Impact Activity,          1
Name: count, dtype: int64

According to the results above, the dataset contains a large number of event categories, which makes the analysis more complex than necessary. To simplify the analysis, it would be more effective to introduce a new classification that groups events under broader categories such as “Public” and “Private” events.

The bar chart shows that from 2014 to 2018, Melbourne hosted 2827 events in total including slightly more Public events (1,495) than Private events (1,332). This indicates a fairly balanced distribution, with public events being just a bit more common.

Public vs Private Events by Category (2014–2018)

• Public events were primarily:
  • Non-ticketed public gatherings
  • Promotional activities
  • Run/walk events
• Private events were largely:
  • Weddings
  • Filming activities, including TV series, commercials (TVC), and photo shoots

This distribution highlights that public spaces in Melbourne were frequently used for community and promotional purposes, whereas private events were focused on personal celebrations and media production.

# Define subcategory logic
def classify_event(row):
    if row['event_type'] == 'Private':
        if 'Wedding' in row['category_1']:
            return 'Wedding'
        elif 'Filming' in row['category_1']:
            return 'Filming'
        else:
            return 'Other'
    elif row['event_type'] == 'Public':
        if 'Non-ticketed' in row['category_1']:
            return 'Non-ticketed'
        elif 'Promotion' in row['category_1']:
            return 'Promotion'
        else:
            return 'Other'
    return 'Unknown'

# Apply subcategory classification
event_df['sub_category'] = event_df.apply(classify_event, axis=1)

• A clear seasonal pattern is evident in public events between 2014 and 2018, with noticeable peaks during spring and reduced activity in winter.

This trend highlights a strong preference for organizing public events in warmer, more favorable weather conditions, particularly during spring.

• Private events from 2014 to 2018 also exhibit a distinct seasonal pattern, with weddings showing strong peaks in spring and summer and dropping significantly in winter. Filming events, in contrast, appear more evenly distributed throughout the year, indicating they are less influenced by seasonal conditions.

This contrast highlights how weather and outdoor suitability primarily impact personal celebrations like weddings, while media productions maintain steady demand year-round.

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This boxplot shows that most locations and times have low pedestrian counts, usually under 500.

But there are also many higher values, going up to nearly 10,000. They likely come from busy areas like the city center or places with special events. So, the data clearly shows that foot traffic can change a lot depending on the location and time.

The histogram shows that most pedestrian counts are low, with a large number of records having lower counts. This is expected in a city environment, where only a few places like CBDs or event areas experience very high foot traffic.

The line chart illustrates the average pedestrian count in Melbourne throughout a typical day, based on data aggregated from multiple sensor locations.

The data shows a clear pattern of pedestrian movement across 24 hours:

• Lowest activity occurs between midnight and 5 AM.
• A steady increase begins around 6 AM, aligning with morning commute hours.
• The first major peak appears between 8 AM and 9 AM, indicating typical work or school start times.
• After a slight midday dip, pedestrian activity peaks again between 1 PM and 3 PM, possibly due to lunch breaks and city movement.
• From 4 PM onward, there's a gradual decline, reflecting the end of the workday and evening transitions.

This pattern provides insight into when foot traffic is at its highest and lowest across the city, which is valuable for event timing, resource planning, and urban management.

This chart shows the top 10 busiest locations based on average pedestrian count. Flinders La–Swanston St (West), Elizabeth Street, and Southbank are among the most active areas, making the areas around them suitable for large public events or campaigns.

The map displays pedestrian sensor locations across the city of Melbourne, clustered based on their average pedestrian count. Each point on the map is color-coded to indicate the level of pedestrian activity:

• Red: High average footfall
  
• Orange: Moderate footfall
  
• Yellow: Low footfall
  
• Green: Very low footfall

The clustering approach helps identify areas of high and low pedestrian activity across the city.

High and moderate footfall locations are mostly concentrated around central Melbourne, indicating their suitability for public events. In contrast, low and very low footfall areas are found around the outer zones, suggesting their potential for private events, especially when supported by nearby parking availability.

This is an interactive map, allowing users to click on each location to view additional information such as the sensor name, average daily count, and a line chart showing the hourly pedestrian trend. This feature provides deeper insights and supports more informed event planning decisions.

This map displays the distribution of available parking spots across central Melbourne. Each blue segment represents a recorded parking location, providing a clear view of street-level and structured parking coverage.

The visualisation shows that parking availability is densest around the central and northern sections of the Melbourne CBD and surrounding commercial zones. Areas near Spencer Street, Queen Victoria Market, and Carlton exhibit a high density of parking facilities, which suggests these regions are better equipped to support events that require vehicle access.

This map was used primarily to support the identification of zones suitable for private events. In such cases, adequate parking is a key consideration to ensure convenient access for attendees, vendors, and service providers.

By combining this data with pedestrian footfall clusters, the analysis highlights locations that are quiet yet logistically accessible, making them ideal for private events.

This heatmap shows areas with high parking availability in red and yellow. Blue areas have moderate availability, and areas with no color have little or no parking data. It’s a clear view of where parking is most concentrated in Melbourne.

This heatmap displays areas in Melbourne identified as suitable for hosting public events. The highlighted zones are determined based on pedestrian activity levels, using clustering on average footfall data.

The most prominent zones shown in red and yellow indicate areas with the highest pedestrian counts. These are primarily located in and around the Melbourne Central Business District (CBD), which includes key public spaces, shopping districts, and major roads.

Such areas are ideal for public events like festivals, promotional campaigns, or community gatherings, as they offer high visibility and natural pedestrian engagement throughout the day.

The heatmap provides a spatial reference for selecting public event locations that are likely to attract attention and benefit from existing crowd movement, without the need for additional footfall generation.

Note: When identifying suitable zones for public events, parking availability was not considered as a filtering criterion. Public events typically attract large crowds where individual parking cannot be guaranteed or practically accommodated. Instead, pedestrian footfall was prioritised, as public events benefit from natural crowd flow and high visibility. Additionally, most attendees are expected to rely on public transport, walking, or other shared mobility options when attending such events, especially in central areas of Melbourne.

This heatmap illustrates zones across Melbourne that are considered suitable for hosting private events. The suitability is determined based on two key criteria:

1. Low or very low pedestrian footfall – to ensure privacy and minimal disruption.
   
2. Medium to high nearby parking availability – to support easy access for attendees.

Brighter and more concentrated areas on the map indicate stronger suitability, where both conditions are met effectively.

The map highlights several clusters in quieter parts of the city, often away from the central business district. These areas are optimal for events such as weddings, workshops, or community meetings where a calm environment and accessibility are important.

This visualisation supports event planners in selecting locations where crowd levels are naturally lower but logistical support, like parking, is still available.